HSN’s next CoC meeting will take place on Tuesday, May 6, 2014, at Pathlight Kitchen, 3200 W. Colonial Drive, Orlando, FL 32808. This meeting will be for both April and May (there will be no meetings, April 22 or May 27).

The meeting starts at 9 a.m. with coffee and peer networking beginning at 8:30 a.m.

The agenda for the meeting includes news and discussion on happenings in our Continuum of Care: Point in Time Count results; Coordinated Assessment implementation; 25 Cities Project; HMIS news and introduction of new HMIS Project Manager; and a CoC Competition update.

We look forward to seeing our Continuum membership at the meeting. If you are unable to attend the meeting, please check this website as handouts from the meeting will be posted here after the meeting.

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS:

DOL-VETS Announces Availability of HVRP Funds

$6 million available for Urban and Non-urban grants, applications due May 13

WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez today announces a grant competition that will award an estimated 24 or more Homeless Veteran Reintegration Program grants totaling approximately $6 million to provide an estimated 2,000 veterans with occupational, classroom and on-the-job training, as well as job search and placement assistance, to help them succeed in the civilian labor market.

“Every day, our service members — and their families — make tremendous sacrifices for their country. Yet too many veterans are homeless,” said Secretary Perez. “The programs funded through this grant will work to help homeless veterans find good jobs and provide them with opportunities for a brighter future.”

Funds are being awarded on a competitive basis to: state and local workforce investment boards; local public agencies; tribal governments and nonprofit organizations, including faith-based and community organizations. Successful applicants will design a program that addresses the multitude of challenges associated with homeless veterans.

HVRP grantees must promote active engagement with industry, employers and employer associations to identify the skills needed for in-demand jobs and careers. The grantees will coordinate their efforts with various local, state and federal social service providers.

The solicitation for grant applications (SGA 14-02), including the full announcement and application instructions, is available at http://www.grants.gov. The deadline for applications is May 13, 2014. More information on the Department of Labor’s unemployment and re-employment programs for veterans can be found at http://www.dol.gov/vets/. For questions about this grant announcement please contact Cassandra Mitchell at 202-693-4589.

This post provides the Process to Request CoC support letters for Priority 1 SSVF FY 2015 Applications and support letters from the CoC for Priority 3 SSVF FY 2015 Applications. Applicants are eligible as stated in the NOFA, a link for which can be found at the end of post. Eligible applicants include the CoC lead agency. HSN, as the lead agency of the CoC, is applying for Priority 1 funding under this NOFA. All agencies that submitted a letter of intent to be included in HSN’s application in response to the announcement that Ken Mueller and Melody Froling made at the Provider meeting on February 17, will be contacted by HSN for consideration of inclusion in the HSN application. All agencies who are current recipients of the Priority 2 SSVF funding through HSN will also be contacted by HSN for consideration of inclusion in the HSN application. HSN, as the lead agency of the CoC, is also applying for Priority 2 funding (renewal) under this NOFA.It is important to note that any eligible applicant as defined in the NOFA may apply for Priority 1 or Priority 3 funding under this NOFA. The fact that HSN is applying for Priority 1 funding does not prohibit any other agency from applying on its own for Priority 1 funding.

The SSVF FY 2015 NOFA (79 FR 2535, January 14, 2014) states that “all SSVF applicants should provide letters of support from the CoCS where they plan to deliver services that reflect the applicant’s engagement in the CoC’s efforts to coordinate services.” The NOFA further states that Priority 1 applications are required to have a letter of support, and that the CoC can endorse a maximum of two Priority 1 applications; Priority 3 applicants are strongly encouraged to obtain a CoC support letter.

Since there is potential for any eligible applicant to apply for SSVF to serve very low income veteran households in the continuum area (Orlando/Orange County/Seminole County/Sanford/Osceola County/Kissimmee), the following process will be used to fairly and transparently determine which applications, especially Priority 1 applications, will be provided the letters of support.Based on the information from the SSVF NOFA as well as the needs of the CoC as a whole, each application will be evaluated by a ranking committee composed of a minimum of 3 individuals who are not associated with any applicant based on the applicant’s:

Experience and capacity to effectively administer the SSVF grant in accordance with the SSVF program rules and regulations

CoC engagement experience

Agreement to participate in the CoC Coordinated Intake and Assessment Process

Agreement that SSVF data will be entered into the CoC’s HMIS

Thus, this SSVF Pre-Application process has been established, as recommended by the VA, for applicants to provide the information needed to adequately review and respond to requests for a letter of support from FL-507 CoC (Orlando/Orange County/Seminole County/Sanford/Osceola County/Kissimmee) for a SSVF FY 2015 application. The pre-application consists of the following:

1.Cover letter with the applicant’s request, including the type (Priority 1 or 3) of SSVF application.

(Note:If you are not applying for Priority 1 funding, you may mark the questions, “Total Available VA SSVF Priority 1 funding for CoC” and “Percent Project Request of Total AvailaVA Priority 1 Funding” as N/A.)

3.A description of how you will ensure SSVF data will be entered into the FL-507 CoC HMIS system.

The completed Pre-Application items listed above must be received by FL-507 CoC by email to coc {at} hsncfl(.)org no later than 4 p.m. on Tuesday, March 4, 2014. Upon receipt of the Pre-Application items, the person listed as the contact name on the Pre-Application will be notified via email of the date and time the Pre-Application was received by FL-507. Upon review of all applications by the Ranking Committee, the Ranking Committee will determine what support letters should be issued by the CoC and the decision will be posted on the CoC website no later than 4:00 p.m. on Friday, March 7, 2014. Those requests that are approved to be issued by the Ranking Committee will be sent to the approved applicants at that time and the CoC will also inform the VA representative of endorsement no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 7, 2014.

HSN’s next CoC meeting will take place on Tuesday, 2/25, at Pathlight Kitchen, 3200 W. Colonial Drive, Orlando, FL 32808.

The meeting starts at 9 a.m. with coffee and peer networking beginning at 8:30 a.m.

The agenda for the meeting includes a discussion of the upcoming HSN SSVF application for Priority 1 funds. You don’t want to miss this opportunity to learn about HSN’s plans for the application and for you to give input regarding the application.

If you are unable to attend the meeting, please check this website for more information regarding the application. Input will be received by email from interested parties to coc {at} hsncfl(.)org through February 28, 2014.

The CoC Project Ranking Committee met Thursday, January 16, to review the renewal project applications, to select a new reallocated project application, and to rank them. The committee ranked projects according to their scores on the instruments posted to HSN’s web site on January 3, and according to the needs of the CoC.

The committee included the following community members:

Janis Akerstrom, Housing and Community Development Manager, City of Orlando

Amy Donley, Ph.D., Department of Sociology, University of Central Florida

Hello all! Just wanted to remind you that Homeless Services Network and UCF will be conducting the annual Point-in-Time Count in late January/ early February. Mark your calendars! And if you are interested in volunteering, please contact isbs {at} ucf(.)edu.

The ranking instruments that will be used for the reviewing and ranking of the New Reallocated Project and the Renewal Application Projects for the 2013 Continuum of Care Application are available for review by the community. The Ranking Committee has been appointed and all persons serving on the committee have no association with any proposed subgrantee for the Application. The award of the New Reallocated Project and the prioritization of the Renewal Project Applications by the Committee will be posted on our website no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday, January 17, 2014.